Packing.



PATENTED FEB. 27, 1906. P. HODGKINSON. NG.

0a. RENEWED NOV.23. 1904.

2 SHEETS H. E. I LON GWELL &

PAGKI INVENTUHS ATTORNEY.

WITNESSES:

No; 813,723. v PATENTED FEB. 27 1906. H. P.. LONGWELL m HODGKINSON.

PACKING. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 21. 1903 RENEWED NOV. 23, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WITNESSES:

ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY E.. LONGWELL, OF PITTSBIIRG, AND FRANCIS HODGKINSON, OF

EDGEWOOD PARK, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS 'IO-THE WESTING- HOUSE MACHINE COMPANY, CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

PACKING. I

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented Feb. 2'7, 1906.

Application filed November 21, 1903. Renewed November 28, 1904.. Serial No. 234,006-

. T on whom it may concern: Q

' its shaft, 3o

Be it known that we, HENRY E. LoNewELL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Pittsburg, and FRANCIS Honexmson, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Edgewood Park, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Packings, of which the following is, a specification.

Our invention relates to packings'for ro-, tary'shafts; and it has forits object to provide such a packing which shall effectivel withstand considerable difi'erences in fluid pressure at its respective sides without materially interfering with the rotative movement.

With this end in view we have devised a liquid packing which is or may be of general a il ustrated and specifically described as utileized in connection with the shaft of a steamturbine. This illustration and description is not intended to be restrictive, since the invention is obviously of more general application. In the accompanying-drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a portion of a fluid ressure turbine and our acking device .for

or-tions of the shaft and fluid-supply ipes being broken away. Fig. 2 is a vertica transverse section on line II I ence between the fluid-pressure in the inte rior and that at the exterior of the casing of a fluid-pressure turbine, and in consequence there is a strong tendency for the escape of steam around or through the shaft-bearing in case the internal pressure exceeds the exter-' nal pressure or an lnflow of an 111 case the externalffpressure exceeds the internal res- -sure-.- invention is designed to e ecti -it ely prevent the leakage of fluid-pressure in either direction and embodies certain features, of construction, which will be now described.

The casing 1 of the turbine, which is pro- I with a series of guide-vanes 2, contains pplication to rotating shafts, but is hereof Fig. 1. There is usually a very considerable difierhead 8 of which is removably bolted in position. Mounted rigidly centrally within the ox or housing 6 is a disk 9, the diameter of which is slightly less than the internal diameter of the housing, so as to provide a clearance-space 10. The disk 9 is also-provided with a central circumferenfor example, as water or oil-is sup lied cen' trally to the bottom of the housing means of a ipe 14, containing a suitable valve 15. The liquid or air, or both, may be expelled from the housing-chamber. through a pipe 16, in which is located a relief-valve 17, that is normally held to its seat by means oi a s ring 18, the pressure exerted by the spring eing susceptible of adjustment by means of a screw 19. v Q

Instead of employing the means shown for regulating the'fluid-pressure the pipe 16 and its valve 17 7 might beomitted and the'valve 15 in the supply-pipe 14 be so designed and constructed as to automatically regulate the ressure sup lied to the chamber 6, or the quid mi htb vation 0 which would-be such that gravity would exertthe desired uniform pressure.

The disk 9, with its vanes 12, 1s, in fact, a

double centrifugal pump. As an example of its operation it may be assumed that it would pump to thirty pounds 1per square inch if furnished with a supply 0 liquid without head at the axis. In such a case we would so load the relief-valve that it would become unseated at a Iessure of twenty pounds per square inch. t would then fol 0w that if the fluid were fed to the chamber through the pipe 14 .a pressure of twenty pounds per square inch would be maintained at the periphery of the centrifugal um since the pressure is maintained at tlns va ue by the relief-valve. We would therefore have an annulus of fluid in e supplied from a tank, the eleupon the shaft 5 and the outer part of the casing 6 ata ressure of twenty pounds per s uare inch, w ich would prevent the passage 0 any gas of a lesser pres otherwise vary the details.

ergample as that just cited would be suitable for an apparatus designed to pack against either an mternal or an external pressure of about fifteen pounds per square inch. Should it be necessary to pack against greater pressures, a pump designed to ump tov a greater head than the thirt poun s per square inch above stated woul obviously be" employed. The quantity of liquid necessary for the operation of this apparatus is only such as Wlll serve to carry awaythe heat to a sufficient extent to avoid vaporization.

The specific details of construction may obviously be varied within comparatively wide limits from what is shown, it being obviousl feasible to employ pumping a paratus' aving a plurality of rotary mem ers or a single disk of different form and dimensions, either with or without lateral wings or: blades or with them on only one end, or to It would also befeasibleunder some circumstances to employ a constant'body of-rli uid for packing purposes, the flow of liqui through the pack1ngchamber being necessary only where the temperature is so high as to volatilize the l'quid. 1f it is not renewed either continuously or at: fre uent intervals.

e claim as our invention- 1. The combination with a rotatable shaft. having a circumferential projection, of a cylindrical chamber for said pro'ection and a; .body of packing liquid partially filling said. chamber and retained in the outer portion: thereof by the rotation of said projection.

2. The combination with a rotatable shaft having a circumferential projection and a bearing-box having a cylindrical chamber of greater diameter than said projection and in which said projection is concentrically located and a body of packing liquid which partially fills said chamber and is retained in the outer portion thereofby the rotation of said projection.

3. The combination with a shaft and a bearing-box therefor having a cylindrical chamber, of a disk having lateral ribs or wings on one or both of its sides and rigidly supported on the shaft within said chamber and a body of packing liquid in said cham- 4. Thecombination with a shaft and a disk rigidly supported thereon and provided with 5. The combination with a shaft, and a, shearing-box having a cylindrical chamber, of

a disk of less diameter than said chamber and rigidly mounted u on the shaft within the chamber, saiddisk aving lateral ribs or win s and said chamber having a body of liquid.

P a 6. T e combination with ashaft havin a disk rigidly mounted thereon, of a charm or said 0 in which said disk is located, a body of li uid in said chamber, an inlet-pipe andan out etpipe for said liquid and a relief-valve in the outletipe.

7. T e combination with a shaft having a c lindrical chamber in which said 'dlsk has 0 earance-space, means for supplying liquid to said chamber and an escape pi e or passage havingan automatic relief-Va ve.

8. The combination with a shaft having a circumferentially-grooved disk provided with lateral ribs or wings, of a cylindrical chamber in which said disk has clearance-space, means for suppl ing packing liquid to the bottom of said 0 amber and an esca e pipe or passage having an automatic relie valve.

. 9. The combination with a shaft and a-circumferentially-grooved and laterall -ribbed disk rigidly mounted thereon, of a cy indrical chamber mwhich saiddiskhas-clearancespace, means for sup lying packing liquid to the bottom of said 0 a ber, anescape pipe or passage connected to the to of the chamber and an automaticrelief-va ve in said pipe or passage. i

10. In a fiui dpressure turbine, the combination withthe turbine-shaft and a laterallyribbed disk rigidly mounted thereon, of a bearing-box having a cylindrical chamber in which said disk has clearance-space, means for su plying packing liquid to the bottom of hamber, a pipe or passage leading from the top of the chamber, an automaticreliefvalve in said pi e or passage and means for adjusting the c osing pressure exerted upon said valve.

1 1. The combinationwith a rotatable shaft having a disk, of a bearing-box having a chamber for said disk and a b'odyof mobile liquid partially filling'said chamber and retalned in the outer portion ofv the-chamber by the rotation of the disk. Y

12. The combination with a shaft havinga disk rigidly attached-thereto, of a bearingbox having a chamber for said disk in whichthere are both end and peri heral clearancespaces and a bed of free yflowing liquid which artially fil s said chamber and is retained 1n the outer portion thereof by the retation of the disk.

13. In a fluid-pressure turbine, the combi nation with a casin having'a bearing-box provided with a cy indrical chamber, of a shaft having a circumferential projection of less length. and diameter than said chamber and located therein and a body of liquid partially filling said chamber and retained in the outer portion thereof by the rotation ofsaid disk provided with lateral ribs. or wings, of a r er, one of saidparts being ada ted to be' maintained in rapld revolution, W ereby the liquid is caused to rotate in said chamber-to Ifprm a joint between the disk and the cham- 16. A stuffing-box comprising an annular chamber containing a liquid and'a disk, the periphery of which extends into said chamber, one of said arts being provided with projections and adapted to be maintained in rapid revolution, whereby the liquid is caused to rotate in said chamber to form a joint between the disk and the chamber.

17. A stufiing-box-comprising an annular chamber containing a liquid and a disk, the periphery of which extends into said chamber, one of said parts being adapted tobe maintained in rapid-revolution, whereby the liquid is caused to rotate in said chamber to form a joint between the disk and the chamher and a reservoir of liquid connected with said chamber.

18. The combination of a shaft having a pro'ecting collar, with a closure surrounding sai collar and means for causing a liquid to rotate insaid closure and form a seal by-its centrifugal force, between the shaft and the closure-walls, for the purpose specified.

19. A stuflin box, comprising a fixed art and a art com%ined with a rotating flui rotated y said rotating partintervening and formin a 'oint between said parts.

20. shaft-packing comprising a casing provided with an annular chamber for receivmg a liquid surrounding said shaft, a collar securedto said shaft and extending within said chamber whereby the liquidis caused to rotate in said chamber.

2 1. The combination in a liquid stuffingbox of a shaft having a collar and a case havin an annular recess adapted to retain a liquit i under rotation surrounding said collar, with'means for causing the liquid to rotate.

22. In a liquid stuffing-box, the combination of the shaft and its collar, with a case-recess inclosing said collar adapted to contain a.

liquid under high rotation, and projections on said collar for causing said li uid to rotate.

In testimony whereof I have ereunto subscribed my name this th day of October,

HENRY E. LONGWELL. Witnesses:

A. S. CACHEMAILLE, L. W. JENKINS. In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name this 9th day of November,

' FRANCIS HODGKINSON.

Witnesses W. 'Soo'r'r .THoMPsoN, BIRNEY .Hmns. 

